23Jun14

AQAP eulogizes slain emir of Islamic Caucasus Emirate

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula released a statement over the
weekend that eulogized Doku Umarov, the former emir of the Islamic
Caucasus Emirates, the al Qaeda-linked group that operates in Russia's
Caucasus region.

The SITE Intelligence Group, which obtained and translated the
statement, reported that "[w]hile the statement from AQAP is dated April
15, it was not released on jihadi forums until June 21, 2014."

"The group [AQAP] praised Umarov and fighters in the Caucasus in
general for offering a 'model of sacrifice and giving' and a school of jihad
whose generations continue to support Islam and defend the sanctities,'
and prayed that God enable them victory over their enemy," SITE
continued in a summary of the statement.

AQAP described Umarov, who was killed sometime late last year or
earlier this year, as "the emir of the mujahideen in the Caucasus" and a
"mujahid knight." AQAP also asked "Allah to bless the efforts of our
mujahideen brothers in the Caucasus."

AQAP is far from the first al Qaeda-linked jihadist group to eulogize
Umarov. Long before the Islamic Caucasus Emirate confirmed Umarov's
death, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and the Global Islamic Media
Front, a jihadist media group linked to al Qaeda, offered condolences to
Umarov's followers. AQIM released its statement on Feb. 2, 2012, and
GIMF released its statement on Jan. 19, 2014.

After Umarov's death was officially announced by the Islamic Caucasus
Emirate on March 18, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham (April 3), the
Turkistan Islamic Party (April 30), and Shabaab (May 14) all released
statements that lamented his death.

[Source: By Bill Roggio, Threat Matrix, The Long War Journal, NJ,
23Jun14]

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